Tulsa Adds 84 Neon Signs to Revive Historic Route 66

Tulsa's stretch of Route 66 is glowing again, and it's lighting the way for a new generation of travelers to discover America's "Main Street."

The city's Route 66 Commission launched a matching grant program that helped businesses install new neon signs or restore vintage ones along the historic highway. The results are stunning: 84 bright neon signs now illuminate Tulsa's 28-mile section of the legendary route.

The timing couldn't be better. Route 66 is celebrating its centennial this year, marking 100 years since Cyrus Stevens Avery, known as the "Father of Route 66," helped create the highway that became synonymous with American westward expansion.

But the road's story isn't just about nostalgia. When Route 66 was decommissioned from the national highway system in the late 20th century, businesses along the route struggled to survive. Many areas fell into disrepair.

Ken Busby, chair of the Tulsa Route 66 Commission, saw neon as the perfect solution. "Neon was the first advertising on the road," he explained. "That's how drivers going across this little two-lane road across America found a vacancy, a restaurant or whatever."

The strategy is working. Spanish traveler Ignacio Casares was driving the route with friends in a rented RV when he spoke about the experience. "It's a way of really going deep into America, and getting to know the heart of it," he said.

Julia Figueroa manages Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios, one of the most colorful stops along Tulsa's Route 66. She remembers when the area was something locals weren't proud of. Now she drives there at night just to watch visitors taking pictures and enjoying the neon glow.

The Ripple Effect

The neon revival is doing more than attracting tourists. It's restoring pride in communities that felt forgotten and giving local businesses a fighting chance to thrive again.

Michael Wallis, founder of the Route 66 Alliance and voice of the Sheriff in Disney's "Cars," calls the highway "this winding museum." More than 85% of the original route is still drivable, he notes, and now it's more inviting than ever.

The commission isn't stopping at signs. Busby says the next step is launching a matching grant program to help businesses restore their building facades, ensuring Route 66 stays bright for the next 100 years.